TOWARDS AN EFFICIENT THIRD-TIER GOVERNMENT
By
Michael ‘Dare Idowu, Ph.D., ACCA
The mal-administration at the local government level in Nigeria has become a major discourse to concerned Nigerians at home and abroad. The abysmal failure of this level of government despite being the closest that should have impacted positively in the lives of local community is hydra in nature and deserves a thorough exposition. It is obviously in our collective best interest for the local government to work so as to deliver the required complementary role to the state government.
CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION: ADMINISTRATION
Part 2, Section 7(1-6) of Nigeria 1999 constitution as amendeddescribes how the local government administration should be operated and sub-section 6 (a & b) are instructive in the face of current debate.
(6) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution: (a) The National Assembly shall make provisions for statutory allocation of public revenue to local government councils in the Federation; and (b) The House of Assembly of a State shall make provisions for statutory allocation of public revenue to local government councils within the State.
FUNDING: S162 (1-8) particularly 5-8.
(5) The amount standing to the credit of Local Government Councils in the Federation Account shall also be allocated to the State for the benefit of their Local Government Councils on such terms and in such manner as may be prescribed by the National Assembly.
(6) Each State shall maintain a special account to be called “State Joint Local Government Account” into which shall be paid all allocations to the Local Government Councils of the State from the Federation Account and from the Government of the State.
(7) Each State shall pay to Local Government Councils in its area of jurisdiction such proportion of its total revenue on such terms and in such manner as may be prescribed by the National Assembly.
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